10 Cars That Deserved to Fail

Cars models come and go. And just like the discontinuation of our favorite model of gym shoe, or the rare timepiece we mortally wound and can't replace, their demise often hits us with immeasurable grief and sorrow. But every once in a while, a ride rolls off the assembly line that elicits an immediate "WTF?" from anyone with even an ounce of automotive appreciation. Whether poorly positioned in the market, too much of a brand departure or just plain ugly, they're the vehicles we can't wait to see disappear. Here are 10 embarrassments that couldn't fail fast enough for us.

BMW Z3 (E36/4) (1996–2002)

BMW Z3 (E36/4) (1996–2002)

Pierce Brosnan was far from the best James Bond, and the Z3 he drove in GoldenEye, BMW's first modern mass-market roadster, was anything but the Bavarian carmaker's most memorable agent. Grossly underpowered from the get-go, the 138-hp, 1.9-liter four-cylinder was quickly substituted for a 2.8-liter straight six. Still, its sub-200-horse numbers weren't anything to get excited about, and the car's wallowy handling couldn't match BMW's sharp sedans. Nevertheless, the Z3 sold quite well, and perhaps that's part of the problem—a car first marketed as a spy's ride sold to many drivers too tall or broad to pull off the look. A rare coupe version, known by those at the company as "the shoe," enjoyed a cult-like following because the car's stiffer structure noticeably improved the handling. But it wasn't until the next two generations of Z4 that BMW really left the roadster segment shaken and stirred.

Chevrolet SSR (2003–2006)

Chevrolet SSR (2003–2006)

An early adopter of today's wildly popular retro-inspired designs, Chevy's "Super Sport Roadster" wasn't necessarily a bad-looking vehicle. Its bulging fenders and squatty stance gave it the appearance of something that could possibly grace a modern-day Beach Boys album. There was just one problem: It was a hardtop convertible pickup truck, with a V8. Void of any practicality (other than perhaps being a midlife crisis car), and bearing a horrendously flexible structure, the $42,000 SSR saw dismal sales in its brief lifetime. Despite GM's addition of the 400-hp LS2 in its final year of production, even mullet-adorned 'Vette owners shook their heads at this automotive oddball.